Eating Disorders Essay

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the three main types of eating disorders. Central Idea: To inform my audience about anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.

Introduction:

Two years ago, I was hit with the news that my mentor was leaving to go to Remuda Ranch, which I learned was a rehabilitation center for women struggling with eating or anxiety disorders. This was extremely hard for me to hear because she is like my big sister and I care a lot about her and hated that she had to go through something like this. After she left, I did a lot of research on eating disorders. I did this just so I would have a better understanding on what she was going through, and also to find out how I could help her, things I could say or do. So today I am going to share with you about three different types of eating disorders.

Body:

(Transition: First, I am going to talk about Anorexia Nervosa.) I. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, they define anorexia by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. A. Anorexia is a mental health condition and is rated one of the highest death rates. 1. Anorexia is one of the more frequent psychiatric diagnoses in young women. 2. Around 90-95% of individuals who suffer from anorexia are female. 3. Anywhere from 5-20% of people who suffer from anorexia will die.

B. Although those who fight anorexia have a list of different symptoms, there are four key ones to look for. 1. They refuse to maintain body weight at a minimal normal weight that is healthy for their body shape, age, and height. 2. The second one is that they have a deep fear of weight gain. 3. Also, they have a severe concern with their body weight and shape. 4. Finally, in women, a loss of menstrual periods will occur. (Transition: Next, I am going to talk about Bulimia.)

II. Based off of the website, nationaleatingdisorder.com, Bulimia is a disorder where a person indulges in habitual binges and then tries to avert any sort of weight gain by vomiting, taking pills, fasting, laxatives, or excessive exercising. A. Bulimia is extremely dangerous because it is one of the harder eating disorders to detect in individuals. 1. More commonly, it is preceded by dieting behavior.

2. Those who are bulimic are usually at an average or normal weight. B. Sufferers of bulimia compare their self-worth too heavily on their size and weight. 1. This mindset usually leads to constant feelings of isolation, harmful thoughts, and extreme low self-esteem. 2. Another thing is that more often than not, they recognize that their behaviors and actions are not normal, which sets in an extra feeling of guilt and loneliness. C. Again, there are a ton of symptoms that follow up with having bulimia, but there are four main ones that usually reside in most bulimics. 1. Bulimics repeatedly go through the cycle of bingeing and purging. 2. When they binge, they eat way beyond the feeling of being comfortably full. 3. Most times, bingeing will cause them to feel guilty which points them in the direction of dieting.

4. Last thing is again, they have extreme concern with their body and weight, in other words really low self-esteem and insecurity issues. (Transition: Finally, I am going to end with Binge eating.) III. Binge eating, also known as compulsive eating, a lot of the time gets confused with Bulimia. Although they are a lot alike, they have one major difference that sets them apart. People who endure binge eating do not purge. A. Binge eating is defined by uncontrollable, excessive eating. 1. Binge eaters often use food to replace a void, in other words, they use it as a way to block out feelings, emotions, and daily stresses. 2. After a binge, the person feels a enormous amount of guilt and shame. 3. Following the feelings of guilt and shame often leads to fasts and dieting. B. A binge eating disorder isn’t caused by just one factor, but many. A couple examples of these factors could be a person’s genetics, life experiences, and emotions.

1. Recent research has shown that binge eating, along with other eating disorders, is dealing with biological abnormalities. The website www.mirror-mirro.com, says that one cause of binge eating is related to the hypothalamus, which is a part of the brain that controls the appetite. It is said that the hypothalamus sends false signals to the brain in regards to hunger. 2. A lot of the time, emotional feelings of depression, is connected to binge eating. Statistics show that half of those struggling with binge eating are depressed or have been, usually dealing with a monumental moment which changed their life. 3. Life changing experiences, like being sexually or emotionally abused, are a huge factor in anyone’s life who suffers from any kind of an eating disorder. Family plays a huge role, whether being extremely critical, especially regarding the body, can lead to being a victim of an eating disorder later in life.

IV. Conclusion

Whether it be anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating, eight million people in the United States alone, battle with an eating disorder. This number is disturbingly high and continues to increase each year. Although all different: anorexics fight starvation, bulimics wrestle with bingeing and purging, and binge eaters battle with bingeing and fasting. It is important to realize that eating disorders aren’t all about poor self-images and low self esteem, but dealing with many other factors like genetic make-up and the need for control.